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During the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Since my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there on the way to London.

We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.

Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.

He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.

A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where everything seems achievable – she responded: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.

I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.

We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.

What's more, that role at the university resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.

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